Unless otherwise noted, all recipes on this blog are free of gluten, peanuts, soy, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, shellfish, cane sugar, oranges, and yeast. Most recipes are also free of egg, dairy, and tree nuts (if used, reliable substitutions will be provided for these when possible). Check out my recipe index for a full list of recipes by category.

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Holiday time is always the hardest for those of us with dietary restrictions, right? Well, no fear. Here are some of my favorite recipes that are just right for holiday get-togethers, from tasty goodies for the appetizer table to delicious gravy and to a sugar free, gluten free, vegan pumpkin pie. A handful are new, but most are pulled from the archives. Christmas will be big this year with a lot of family coming to Minneapolis, so expect Round 2 closer to Christmas! In the meantime, enjoy these!

All recipes follow the following restrictions:

gluten free

soy free

corn free

egg free

dairy free (ghee may be used occasionally, sub oil of choice, and might be used yogurt used in a few older recipes)

Wild Lentil Loaf

yield 1 large pan, approx 6-8 servings

This looks like a lot of instructions, but it really is easy! Rice and lentils can be made 1-2 days in advance if necessary. Mixture can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. A make-ahead miracle! The texture is very moist, but is sliceable and delicious covered with parsnip gravy. Leftovers are awesome hot or cold.

Rinse rice and soak for 6-8 hours. Rinse, then cook per desired method. I used a pressure cooker (2 cups water for 20 minutes at 15 lbs pressure).

Pick through and rinse lentils. Cook the lentils on a stove top with 2 1/2 c water, the bay leaf, and minced garlic for about 15 minutes, or until lentils are totally tender and water is fully absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove bay leaf.

In a microwave or on the stovetop, heat water and flaxmeal until a thick and gooey gel forms (1-2 minutes). Stir vigorously with a fork a few times, then let cool completely.

Toast sunflower seeds in a dry sauté pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

Add olive oil to the saucepan, and heat over medium-high. Add cumin seeds and sauté until fragrant, then add onion and celery, and saute for a few minutes. Then add carrot and parsnip and saute for an additional 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Add a little broth or water and cover if you notice the mixture is getting dry or cooking slowly. Remove from heat.

Mix 2 cups of rice, the lentils, and flax goo in a large bowl until smooth. Put 1 cup of rice/lentil mixture and half the sauteed vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth, and return to the bowl.

Add the rest of the vegetables and all the remaining ingredients and stir, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mixture should be super thick.

Pack the mixture firmly into pan, and then sprinkle with sunflower seeds. At this point, you can bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. If you let it sit, the flour and flakes absorb the moisture and the loaf sets very well.

Bake covered for about 45 minutes at 375* F, then uncover and let bake for about 15 minutes, until top is crisp and sunflower seeds are golden brown. NOTE: if you had it in the fridge and it went in the oven very cold, it may take longer to bake and get warm.

Parsnip Gravy

yield 3 cups

This gravy benefits from the rich flavor and velvety texture of pureed parsnip and onions. Serve on lentil loaf, over cooked grains or veggies, or on top of mashed cauliflower or potatoes.

3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

3-4 c broth/stock or water, divided

2 T olive oil

2 T sweet rice flour, white rice flour, or millet flour

salt and pepper to taste

optional: itty bitty pinch of nutmeg

Peel parsnips and thinly slice. Steam until tender, then put in blender.

While parsnips steam, saute onions in a saucepan with a little olive oil over medium heat until browned and tender. Put in blender with steamed parsnips. heat about 1/2 c broth in the saucepan until simmering, swirl around, and pour into blender. Puree until smooth.

Heat 2 T olive oil in the saucepan, warm over medium heat, then add flour and stir. Cook until flour starts to brown and smells nutty, then gradually add about 2 c broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a scald, then reduce heat. Gravy should start to thicken. Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning.

Add pureed parsnip mixture and whisk until smooth. Simmer a couple of minutes, adding more broth as necessary to reach desired consistency and stirring often. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and if desired, just an itty bitty pinch of nutmeg.

Serve warm drizzled over lentil loaf, or use on cooked grains, steamed vegetables, or anything else!

Wild rice and quinoa create a chewy, wonderful texture for a pilaf

Wild Rice & Quinoa Pilaf Stuffing

serves 8-10

This stuffing uses whole grains instead of bread, but is still full of all the same delicious flavor. Stuff inside a bird, or serve on the side - either way, it is sure to satisfy.

3/4 c wild rice

3/4 c quinoa

water for soaking

water/broth for cooking

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c carrot, grated

3/4 c celery, thinly sliced

10 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 c fresh parsley, minced

1 T dry thyme

1 T dry rosemary, crushed1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp allspice

salt and pepper to taste

optional: handful toasted nuts/seeds

optional: handful dried fruit (apricots, currants, raisins)

optional: diced apple

optional: 1-2 T maple syrup

Place quinoa and wild rice in separate bowls with 3x as much water as grain. Soak for 6-12 hours.

Rinse grains (rub quinoa together while rinsing) and drain.

Cook wild rice: I like to cook wild rice in a rice cooker or pressure cooker. If using a rice cooker, cook as directed in your owner's manual. If using a pressure cooker, follow directions for rice. I cooked mine for 15 minutes at 5 lbs pressure, placing wild rice grains and 1 1/2 c water in an oiled pan, and placing the pan and 2 c water in the cooker. If cooking in a saucepan on the stovetop, add 2 c water and rice to pan, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all water is absorbed and grains are tender. Remove from heat and let steam about 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Cook quinoa: Place quinoa in a saucepan, add 1 1/2 c water/broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Turn off heat let sit covered for about 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff grains with a fork.

Heat oil in a large saute pan. Saute celery for 1-2 minutes, then add carrots, scallions, and chopped apple (if using), and saute until everything is tender. Add spices and stir to coat.

Add cooked grains to pan, stirring to mix, and heat mixture over medium heat until evenly warmed through. Cover and add a little extra broth or water if mixture is getting dry.

Serve warm. If desired, sprinkle with toasted nuts/seeds or a handful of dried fruit before serving.

This dessert has a crystal clear layer of apple cider gelée - beautiful!

Pumpkin Amazaké Custard with Apple Cider Gelée

yield 1 9" round custard, approximately 8-12 servings

This dessert looks elegant, tastes amazing, and is incredibly easy to make. As always, it is gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and soy free, but there's also no added sugar and it is low in fat. A layer of apple cider gelée adds a special twist, but the custard can be served just as well without, if desired. The perfect allergy-friendly dessert that all your guests will enjoy!

Puree amazaké and milk/water in blender until totally smooth. Strain mixture into a saucepan through a fine sieve to remove any unblended chunks, and set aside.

Put 2 cups of cooked squash in the blender, along with oil, spices, salt, and vanilla, and set aside.

Sprikle agar flakes/powder over amazaké in saucepan, and heat to a simmer over medium heat without stirring. Then simmer for two minutes, stirring gently until agar is totally dissolved. Dissolve the arrowroot in 4 T cold milk substitute, and add it to the amazaké mixture. It will thicken immediately -simmer 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture will be VERY thick.

Immediately transfer amazaké mixture into blender, and puree all ingredients until smooth.

Pour into an 9" x 1 1/2" round tart/flan/cake pan with a drop bottom or a springform pan. If your pan is not non-stick, lightly oil the sides of the pan before pouring it in. Smooth top with a spoon or rubber spatula, and drop pan lightly on counter top a few times to remove air bubbles. Let sit in a level place for about 30 minutes. If serving custard without layer of gelée, transfer to refrigerator, let chill 4 hours, then serve. If serving with gelée...

While it sets, make the gelée:

Pour cider into a small saucepan and sprinkle agar agar powder/flakes over the top. Heat to a simmer without stirring, then stir and simmer for about 2 minutes, or until agar is totally dissolved.

Add vanilla if using, and stir again to mix. Pour into a cool bowl or measuring cup, and place in refrigerator to cool for 10 minutes. Don't let sit too long, or it will start to set!

Once it has cooled, gently pour cooled cider mixture over custard. Let sit in level spot for about 20 minutes, then put in the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.

To serve, remove ring, place on serving platter, and slice into wedges just before serving. If desired, top with a blob of something creamy (whipped cream/cashew cream/coconut cream/rice cream/some other creamy thing) of your choice. It is really tasty with Coconut Bliss Coconut Milk Ice Cream!

NOTES:

If you do not have amazaké, make a grain puree: blend 1 cup of very well cooked grain with 1 cup of milk substitute until totally smooth, straining to remove chunks. I tried this recipe again with leftover mixed brown and wild rice blended with rice milk, and it worked great! I would recommend using grain that has been cooked with a higher than usual amount of water so it is very soft and very well cooked.

If you do not have a drop bottom pan, you could make this in an pie tin, and just serve slices of it like pie.

For individual servings, spoon mixture custard cups or molds and let set, and topping each serving with equal portions of cider gelée as desired.

I love the look of some of these recipes and can't wait to try them! I'm planning ahead for a busy weekend and wondered - do you think the lentil loaf would freeze at the refrigeration stage and then slowly defrost over 24+ hours so I could prepare it 3 days in advance? And if not, do you think it would safe to leave it refrigerated for 48hrs? Thanks!

I think I would be more likely to leave it refrigerated for 48 hours rather than freezing. I do not know how well this loaf would thaw after freezing. Based on the ingredients, the loaf should be save in the fridge for up to 5 days, so I think you're good! good luck on your holiday cooking.

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xo

DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this web site is general in nature and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional.